Northwest Rider Education

The choices are many

It used to be you could take one kind of motorcycle safety course
in the Northwest. Today there are almost as many courses
offered as their are major brands of motorcycles on the market.
Whatever phase of your riding years you're in, there's bound to be
one or two classes offered that will help keep you on your toes with your
riding skills and knowledge of your bike. At the bottom of
this article we have listed the Northwest providers of these courses
and what they each offer. But first a look at the various
class choices.

Basic Rider Course - First time and returning riders are
encouraged to take the basic rider course provided by contractors
who are sanctioned and subsidized by the state. The class
takes a commitment of one weekday evening and an entire Saturday and
Sunday. I recall taking my first one after 25 years of riding.
What a wake up call that ever was. For those who ride and have
never taking a basic rider course it's time you do.

Additional Riding Course - Some people need a little more
time with the various exercises covered in a basic rider class.
For those who do there is the Additional Riding Class where each
student is provided extra time to work on the exercises most
important to them before taking their skills to the street.

Experienced Rider Course - It's good to brush up every few
years. An experienced rider course only takes a day to do and
keeps you on your toes about the little things you let slip from
your mind since your last class. There are those who take the
class about every two years, often in the spring as a tune-up for
riding season. Many contractors will work with various clubs
to schedule a group class so you and your pals can get instructed
together. Often times this may include a small discount on the
group buy.

Sidecar/Trike Education Program - Looking for something a
little different to keep your chops up? How about taking a
Sidecar/Trike instruction class. You may never plan to own a
sidecar or trike, or perhaps you're toying with the idea of owning
one. When you take the class the vehicles are provided to you
so you don't need to have one of your own. It's similar to a
basic instruction class only you're doing all the exercises on three
wheels. There is also classroom and field instruction specific
to the dynamics of the rig itself so you better understand the
differences from a two wheel rig. For those of you who took
advantage of the window back in 2004 in Washington State to get a 3
wheel endorsement on your license - even though you didn't have the
skills to operate one, it's time you sign up and legitimize the
endorsement for your own piece of mind. You'll be glad you
did.

Photo: A student wondering if 3 wheels is for him,
completes an exercise on the course provided Gold Wing trike.

Dirt Bike School - For years the Motorcycle Safety
Foundation has offered a curriculum for riding dirt bikes, but no
local contractors ever picked it up until recently when Puget Sound
Safety began administrating the course. Here again the bikes
are provided so you don't need to own one to get your feet wet.
Riding motorcycles off-road is vastly different from on pavement and
again this my be your choice for an educational brush next time you
sign up for a class.

Scooters Only -
If you ride a scooter you can take a standard BRC and get a
completion certificate just like any motorcyclist can. But if
you'd like to do it in the exclusive company of other scooter
enthusiasts the Evergreen Safety Council has purchased
a number of scooters and teaches a basic rider course using their
in-house harem. The shifting aspects of the curriculum are
gone and more time is spent on other exercises. ESC has even
gotten approval to teach an experienced rider class with scooters as
they did for the Northwest Scooter Enthusiasts in the spring of
2006.

Photo: There he goes again, same riding gear, different class,
Mehren practices looking through the turn during a scooter only ERC
offered by Evergreen Safety Council. Photo by Constance Gay

Lee Parks Total Control Advanced Riding Clinic - The
author of the popular book, Total Control, Lee Parks has developed a
curriculum for instructors to work from that provides street smarts
blended together with track smarts. This program is not a
state endorsed program.

Motorcycle Maintenance - Even if you never plan to perform
your own work on your motorcycle a basic maintenance class will help
you to better understand your bike and trouble shoot issues going on
with it. The class only takes an afternoon and covers basics
like fluid changes, brake inspection, tire assessment and cable
adjustments. With hourly shop rates nearing $100 per hour a
class like this can save you hundreds of dollars a year in basic
maintenance costs.

Photo: A bin filled with electrics and fluids used
during one of Puget Sound Safety's Motorcycle Maintenance class.

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